Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV review

Introduction

The Sony DSC-RX10 IV is premium superzoom bridge-camera (DSLR-like form factor) with a 24-600mm equivalent F2.4-4 zoom lens and a 20MP 1"-type stacked BSI-CMOS sensor: the same used by the Sony RX100 V. This new sensor brings phase detect autofocus to the RX10 series for the first time, adding the depth-awareness that is important for focusing long lenses. The camera is also faster than its predecessor and can shoot at 24 fps with AF and auto exposure (compared to 5 fps).

The processor is borrowed from the flagship Sony a9, which should mean excellent subject tracking. In short, this camera packs speed, AF ability and lens reach into a convenient package, not to mention 4K video. So is it the most capable all-in-one camera on the market? Read on...

Key specs:

20MP 1"-type stacked BSI-CMOS sensor

24-600mm equivalent F2.4-4 stabilized zoom lens

24 fps burst shooting in JPEG + Raw, with full AF and AE

315-point phase-detection autofocus system covers 65% of frame

Detailed 4K video capture with well-controlled rolling shutter

High frame rate video capture

Touchscreen

Bluetooth connectivity

Updated menus

We feel like this camera will appeal to a variety of users including those seeking an all-in-one camera with serious reach for casual shooting, travel or vacationing. But advanced videographers may also find this camera tempting thanks to a laundry list of video features and good quality UHD capture.

Key features compared

The body is almost identical to that of its predecessor, using the same outstanding lens. However the RX10 IV offers a touchscreen that can be used as a touchpad for placing AF points with your eye to the finder or for selecting a point of focus in still or video mode. There are a few other minor differences between the two cameras as well:

Sony RX10 IV

Sony RX10 III

Sony RX10 II

Panasonic FZ1000

Panasonic FZ2500

MSRP

$1699

$1499

$1199

$899

$1199

Sensor

20MP 1"-type stacked CMOS sensor

20MP 1"-type stacked CMOS

20MP 1"-type stacked CMOS

20MP 1"-type BSI-CMOS

20MP 1"-type BSI-CMOS

ISO range (native)

100-12800

100-12800

100-12800

125-12800

125-12800

Lens (35mm equivalent)

24-600mm F2.4-4

24-600mm F2.4-4

24-200mm F2.8

25-400mm F2.8-4

24-480mm F2.8-4.5

Built-in ND filter

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

AF system

Phase detect

Contrast detect

Contrast detect

Contrast detect

Contrast detect

AF points

315-point

25-pt

25-pt

49-pt

49-pt

Fastest shutter speed

1/32,000 sec(e-shutter), 1/2000 (mechanical)

1/32,000 sec(e-shutter),1/2000 (mechanical)

1/32000 sec(e-shutter),1/2000 (mechanical)

1/16000 sec(e-shutter), 1/4000 (mechanical)

1/16000 sec(e-shutter), 1/4000 (mechanical)

EVF resolution

2.36m-dot

2.36m-dot

2.36m-dot

2.36m-dot

2.36m-dot

LCD

3" 1.44M-dot tilting

3" 1.23M-dot tilting

3" 1.23M-dot tilting

3" 921k-dot fully articulated

3" 1.04M-dot fully articulating

Touchscreen

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Burst rate

24 fps

14 fps

14 fps

12 fps

12 fps

Video

4K/30p

4K/30p

4K/30p

4K/30p

4K/30p

High-speed video

Up to 960 fps @ 800 x 270

Up to 960 fps @ 800 x 270

Up to 960 fps @ 800 x 270

120 fps @ 1920 x 1080

120 fps @ 1920 x 1080

Wi-Fi

Yes, with NFC and Bluetooth

Yes, with NFC

Yes, with NFC

Yes

Yes

Battery life (CIPA)

400 shots

420 shots

400 shots

360 shots

350 shots

Weather sealing

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Dimensions

133 x 94 x 145mm

133 x 94 x 127mm

129 x 88 x 102mm

137 x 99 x 131mm

138 x 102 x 135 mm

Weight

1095 g

1051 g

813 g

831 g

915 g

As you can see, the RX10 IV stacks up nicely next to its siblings and direct competitors. For someone primarily concerned with stills, the RX10 IV seems like the obvious choice, especially if you plan on shooting action: it's got the fastest burst rate of the bunch and is the only camera in its class with phase detection.

But for videographers, the FZ2500 with its fully-articulating touchscreen, built-in variable ND filter and similar zoom range might make it the more sensible choice, especially given its lower price point (though we found its lens performance inferior to its Sony counterparts). You don't get the cool, super-high-speed frame rate options offered by the Sony cameras, but 1080/120p is not too shabby.

Comments

The RX10 IV is a fine bridge camera. Now, I'd like Sony to come out with a version of the original, smaller and lighter RX10 with the constant-aperture 24-200mm lens - but with the sensor, image processing, autofocus and video ability of the Mark IV.

Agree about size of this SONY bridge camera; how about 50-300mm? Now reviewing LUMIX FZ-1000 (new model) but put off by no weather proofing; so my decision on ice. Other factor to consider if photos fall flat and slightly underwhelming on such zoomsters. My SONY A7 with 35mm Zeiss making no great effort in the study of light and shade; almost there. However my Fuji combination comes through with striking colors that speak volumes.

I am seriously considering trading in my a7r2 with 24-70 ,55mm and 90 macro for this camera, my flash and remotes and other accessories will still work and I get 600mm.The video seem just as capable if not better and while you cant aggressively crop like you can with a7r2 sensor you have the longer reach.

Hopefully you made the right decision if you bought this SONY zoom camera. Hazarding a guess your A7R2 with 55mm produces excellent images that no zoom could match. Sold my SONY 90mm macro due to hunting too much and weight on A7 too much to handle. Most SONY FE lenses very big like new 135mm which gets top billing for a price. Having any zoom a trade-off of one kind or another that makes any decision an act of faith? A7R2 far better image quality I would assume compared to my ancient A7?

If at least keep the aperture below f2.8 to about 180mm, but it drops to f4 already at 100mm, f10.6 DOF equivalent, does not seem very interesting for portraits, you would have to push the zoom too much, another big drawback is the the ND filter is missing, if it is an "all in one" it must be in all the senses. I have an RX10 Mk1, it's a great camera, the constant f2.8 allows me some isolation of the subjects despite being an equivalent f7.6, the minimum focusing distance of 30 cm and that f2.8 give some play with the DOF. It also allows me to shoot in the long extreme in low light situations without increasing the ISO, and the ND fuller allows me to isolate at f2.8 in a sunny day with a low speed to allow movement in parts of the image. Wishing that Fotokina arrive to see what they advertise, if not I will end up buying this, when it will go down considerably in price for that AF and that suggestive zoom with optical quality.

Finally I bought MKIII, I had to return it in a week, I can not with the maximum shutter speed of 1/1000, it seemed so absurd, that less than 1/2000 + ND incorporated. Finally I stayed with MK1, I do not change it, except for those extra 400mm is better in everything.

Interesting thought you have on landscape with this camera Dan. The optical quality, 21mp sensor, and dynamic range in raw files at base ISO make it a fantastic landscape camera. I mean, how large do people want to print? I have a 30x40" print from the original RX10 on my wall that can hold up to any DSLR I have (6D etc.). Yeah there are other options, but practically, what are people really printing these days? I'd rather hedge my bets on this cameras optical quality than try to scour through expensive DSLR lenses with very limited range. Plus I'll spend less.

I seriously enjoy shooting with this camera and after owning it for eight months and using it several times a week I am still constantly discovering new things it can do. I use it mainly for nature photography. I do a lot of handheld exposure bracketing and panorama stitching, and recently a lot of closeup wildflower photography at 600mm, which took some getting used to but feels natural now. It's been super fun and I'll be really interested to see what the Mk V looks like, even if I probably won't upgrade until at least the Mk 6; after all they are expensive. Get insurance, though—it's true that I've been hard on mine, but it's also true that for the last month it has been locking up about 1 out of 10 times that I turn it on, requiring me to do a lot of cargo cult debugging to get it working again. I'm going to have to send it in. Build quality should be better—if Sony wants $1700 for a bridge cam, durability should be a given. I will say that when it's working, it works flawlessly.

I've been using this camera for over a month. Shooting sports, airplanes, people and pets running, and automobiles while using AF-C tracking and shooting bursts at 10fps my keeper rate is about 90%. I don't use 24fps because I find it overkill and it just fills the card with nearly identical shots. At 10fps I never fill the buffer. There might be no camera with better AF other than the D5 and D500.

Why is the inability to zoom while shooting bursts considered such a disadvantage for sports? When I see sporting events the professional sports photographers use primes which don't have any zoom capability.

"Any serious sports photographer knows that the ability to zoom out on a subject as they approach, while also maintaining focus is essential to the way most people shoot action. We've reached out to Sony to see if this is something that could perhaps be enabled via firmware update."

All the pros I see shooting professional sports with primes are certainly serious sports shooters and obviously they don't zoom while shooting bursts.

An air show is not sport shooting and that is not what DPR was talking about, but it still can be done successfully by shooting a short burst, zoom out and shoot again. Maybe not ideal but still possible.

@tbcass The maneuver I'm talking about takes under 2 seconds from the first worthwhile shot, to a wide angle shot, with most of the worthwhile photos being taken in the first second. To capture it takes skill, practice and luck. There is no way you have time to zoom out and shoot repeatedly.

Pros shooting sports with primes have their own styles and specialties. That doesn't mean it will suite everyone and every occasion to shoot that way.

But I still disagree with DPRs statement that the ability to shot bursts while zooming is ESSENTIAL for sports shooting, the key word being essential. Obviously the pros who shoot with primes are very serious sports shooters and can't zoom while shooting bursts.

essential; absolutely necessary; extremely important.

I bring this up not to defend the fact the RX10iv can't shoot bursts while zooming which I wish it could do. I bring it up because what DPR said is blatantly wrong. They should be more careful with the way they word things because people reading the review will take it to mean the RX10iv can't shoot sports. That very question has already been asked on the Sony forum.

@tbcass You can eat icecream with a fork, or cut steak with a butter knife too. Would you want to though? A spoon for icecream and a steak knife for steak are not essential but they are expected and life without them is more difficult than it needs to be.

Tell that to the pros who shoot sports with high priced primes. I also acknowledged that being able to zoom while shooting bursts is desirable. My problem is with the wording and using the term ESSENTIAL!!!! I believe I made that very clear.

@tbcass A bit late to the party, but those pros with primes will almost always have a second camera, with a 70-200, slung over their shoulder for when the action gets closer. That's when racking zoom during a burst becomes valuable. The ability to zoom while following action is also a primary reason why 200-400 type lenses are so popular with pro sports shooters.

in terms of image quality (which is most important for photographers), I think, its will be much better choise if I will buy APSC camera (for example, Canon or Nikon) + New Tamron 18-400 lens. Yes, Tamron is not so fast, but its a lens for APSC format sensor. For example, the set Nikon D7100 + Tamron 18-400 will be cost about 1200 USD, even new and best APSC set - D7500+18-400 will be cost less then this camera. Also in crope mode 18-400mm lens will give us 600mmx1.5=900mm with 10MP file, and details by 10MP from APSC sensor will be even more then details from 1'' tiny sensor, and at high ISOs, like 1600, images will be way better.

Actually an 18-400 lens on an APS-C camera will have inferior IQ to the RX10iv. Trust me I went the superzoom lens on APS-C route before I bought an RX10iv and the IQ sucked past 200mm. In addition the AF of such lenses isn't very good. Because such lenses have slow f stops the APS-C camera requires higher ISO settings to compensate unless the light is great, negating the APS-C advantage. The Video capability of the D7500 is inferior to the RX10iv. In the end I consider an 18-400 on a D7500 a poor choice, a waste of a great camera and not as good as the RX10iv.

If you go the D7500 route go the multiple lens route to get the best out of it. If you want an all in one solution go with the RX10iv. Better yet, buy both.

Be honest, how slowly is that bike rider moving? Look, good that it had great hit rate, but it hardly seems a challenge for a $1700 camera in 2018. You need more realistic and tougher subjects to test tracking, e.g. dogs chasing a ball or birds in flight or real sports games.

the RXIV is a great camera with great image quality but even in spite of all its advantages I prefer the Panasonic FZ2000 for video because of one killer feature:Inbuilt ND filters. They make life so much easier. Having to fiddle around with add on NDs is clumsy and irritating.

So Sony is the king of superzoom (RX10VI), the king of compact (RX100V), the king of mirrorless (A7iii), the king of consumer video, the king of sensor technology. They made great R&D investments and I think it will soon payoff in marketshare.

I've had my RX10 IV for a few weeks now and am really enjoying it. I don't plan on selling my Canon 5D III anytime soon, but I suspect the RX10 will be the one I choose most often when I'm going to be out for the day.

I was experimenting this camera, too; it's the third candidates (vs Sony NX80 and Canon XF400) of picking a video camera for spring/summer projects in 2018. This camera has the excellent three-ring (iris, zoom, focus), power-zoom (ENG) lens with enormously huge (24 - 600mm FoV) optical zoom range with f2.4 - f4.0 (vs the XF400/NX80 have only 2.8-4.8). The lens absolutely makes this camera far better (the king) than its competitors, it's a state of the art ZEISS lens with stellar image quality.

Along with the excellent lens it has a full range of S-Log profiles as well as excellent no-hunting video AF including stellar touch to Spot Focus (same as Canon's MF-Boosted AF).

There is one more aspect that is special: this camera has Sony's excellent low-power Bluetooth location GPS link technology, which maintains an accurate and real-time location information for the photos as well as the videos, yes VIDEOS, too. I use a Catalyst Browse, and it nicely shows the GPS information along with the video together with other video metadata (ISO, iris, shutter) at least for the first frame when the video was started. To get GPS on the XF400, I could buy the $300 Canon GP-E2 GPS unit, but for the NX80 no GPS solution is available. The Location Link works so great with the RX10IV, that I think it is a much more convenient and more accurate solution than (even) the GP-E2.

The Sony XLR solution is available, too for the RX10IV. Because of the (tourist bridge camera) shape and smallish size of the RX10IV, I think it is even better for stealth videography (vs the videocamera shape of XF400/NX80) where a news journalist tries to hide the fact that he/she is a professional.Nevertheless, here are the features of XF400 that are better vs the RX10IV: (1) The XF400 has a 3.5" fully touch operable reversible screen vs the 3" tilting-only touch screen of the RX10, (2) tilting viewfinder vs RX10's straight viewfinder, (3) 50fps 4K vs 25fps 4K on the RX10, (4) unlimited dual card recording vs RX10's single card 30-minute limit. This limitation is easy to workaround with a small external recorder, which could even be used as a great reversible solution.

Very good points, Si Jou. I already have the FE28-135f4 power zoom lens, it's brilliant. But, I want a much smaller and lighter, compact video camera with excellent autofocus and versatility. So, Canon C100, C200 wouldn't be the right direction, since they are even much bigger and clumsy to carry around than my current set. GH5 has no video AF, it's not really my cup of tea, and not smaller than A7; did you know that there are no powerzoom lenses for GH5, for example? The RX10IV, NX80, XF400 are all light, self contained cameras with excellent powerzoom lenses, as you very nicely summarized, Their 1" sensor is still powerful enough 4K video cameras. I need anyway a second camera, too, for my assignments. My Sony A5100 + Ninja 2 is HD only, not really fine for run and gun. What I love with these cameras is that they have excellent built-in lenses.Happy New Year!

The fe28-135f4 is a huge lens, that's where my back-pain starts to hurt..it is 2x the weight and 2.3 times the size/volume of the new fe24-105f4 The first is cine lens, parfocal, power zoom, perfect for video and fit person; but not really sharp for photography (not a match of my 7rii, except in video) But the 24-105 it's relatively small, and with the a7 just about 200g heavier than the rx10iv. And a very sharp zoom for photography too. The zoom difference between the two is minimal (4.3 vs 4.8?) I have the same dilemma, having the 7rii was carrying 3 lenses + filters+ flash etc- but the new 24-105 probably will shorten this list. The rx10iv is tempting, although I would had preferred the rx10i/ii f2.8 updated version rather than this monster, over 30 cm @600mm the unpractical placement of the screw mount just below the lcd is asking for trouble. I lean towards the ax700 ( the same like the xf400 but w/o the xlr's) BUÉK neked is barátom.

Yes the panasonic was a bitter pill, after the gh3 + 5 lenses bought the gx7, not knowing that only 3 months later the gh4 will hit the shelves..heaps of filters ( mostly B+W), lee seven5's etc, not even the new gh5 and g9 is convincing enough to not to sell my pana glasses.Unless they follow the innovation / trend and go with phase detection, for me, video autofocus is useless. I cannot afford to pay for a focus puller...I still have my LX100 , the not so compact compact camera,and the GX7 which is brilliant for many things like time-lapse.

As someone who had a X-s1 and now rx10 mk3 I can tell you that it is light years ahead. If you don’t have the mk3 buy it. If you have a mk3 like me then I don’t think it is worth the cost to up grade when the mk3 does all I need at present.

I hate when reviewers use vague terms like “several”. What does that mean? The reviewer said it takes several seconds to zoom through the range of the lens. It takes 2 seconds at most while to me several seconds would be 4-5 seconds.

How long can one record in 4K before the camera shuts down to cool off? Older Sony models shut down at 12 minutes record time. I'm hoping to shoot full one-hour music gigs (with 20-minute breaks during band changes) and don't want to lose any of the performance. Anybody? Bueller?

all spx fine, super fine in fact! only, reduce the number of pixels for that size of sensor to 10 max (6, most preferably!) for optimum resolution / noise ratio, also, halve the price and i'd still not get this little toy anyway! ;-)

The RX10 mk.4 sounds like an incredible camera, I'm very tempted to purchase.My friend has a Canon 7Dmk.2 he is willing to sell to me for a good price. If I purchase a 100-400mm L lens for it (here the total would amount to about $3300) which camera would take the better sports photos?

I have a 7d (mk1) and the 100-400mm (again, mk1) and the combo cannot hold a candle to my RX10Mk3 - for video. I couldn't even get stable video shot on a tripod! However, for sports photos there is a lot less of a difference. That is - except for weight. The Canon combo will severely test your upper body strength standing by an oval all game catching the hilights. The Sony is a featherweight by comparison.

3" 1.04M-dot fully articulating is not better than 3" 1.44M-dot tilting, only for video is it potentially better, and nothing about sunlight legibility. Also for video considering the oversampling and s-log(Panasonic's v-log needs an additional purchase) I think RX10IV has the edge. Only with s-log/v-log does it have any professional capacity, or else there's no headroom for grading.

Although Sony has the big advantage of its incredible autofocus responsiveness during video I think that overall the unlimited recording together with the advantages listed in the review: "fully-articulating touchscreen, built-in variable ND filter and similar zoom range might make it the more sensible choice, especially given its lower price point" make FZ2500 the better camera for video.

That's a bigger sensor, a M43 sensor, on an interchangeable lens camera. Apples to oranges. Is there a 24mm to 600mm eqv lens at f4 available for the Olympus? The fact this smaller sensor is comparable to the M43 shows how good it is (or how slowly the M43 sensors are progressing?)

I read online recently (Sony RX10 Flickr group) that the Sony RX10 IV shoots between f7-f12 majority of the time instead of f2.4-f4. Can anyone who currently owns this camera verify or deny this claim?

"More for me 2:36am, 3 November 2017ATG says do not be fooled. Many companies have lied when posting their camera models /or lenses.

This camera is really 24-600mm @ F7.20 to F12.0.Most of the time this overpriced behave at F12.0 wide open."

This guy mentions the full frame equivalent apertures in respect to total light gathering. Here, the f4 of the RX10m4 gathers the same "amount of photons" as a full frame camera at f12. Relevant especially for depth of focus or "blurred background" considerations.

No the camera lens is really an 8.8-220mm f/2.4-4 lens, these ‘lies’ that idiots like this want to claim are the idea that they are a 24-600mm f/2.4-4 lens, which they aren’t. With crop factor they have a similar field of view of a 24-600mm lens.

1- The lens will give you the same zoom as a 24-600mm on a FF camera (5D, A7, D810, etc)

2- The lens will give you deeper depth of field, it will give you a 24mm f/7.6 equivalent and 600mm f/12 equivalent, ramping throughout the range.

3- It will give you the same EXPOSURE as a normal 2.4 or whatever the number is written on the lens. You should judge lowlight performance based on pictures at high ISOs not this aperture number as the sensor and processing will have a big role.

So yes a 24-600mm f/7.6-12 in FOV and DOF but not exposure (per picture/unit area)

600mm f/12 is pretty blown out background! The only kind of "look" you can't get from this camera is like a 50mm 1.8 in an APS-C DSLR for portraiture. So not an ideal shallow DOF portrait camera at all. Unless you can reaaaaally back away and melt the background as much as possible.

Full frame is just baby kit compared to medium format. it is always sad when the full frame big sensor trolls go around in their prams trying to act big because full is better than medium. Probably think the f number is aperture also. We need something on the market bigger than medium format as you just cannot get big enough really in equivalent aperture land.

The equivalent apertures for DOF and diffraction purposes are F5.6-F11. No difference for exposure. F4=F4 on any camera whether it be a phone or a medium format camera. So, if a light meter is telling you the the EV for a certain scene is 1/60th at F4 that's what you set on the camera regardless of senor size. Exposure is fundamental to photography so why would manufacturers advertise a lens as 24-600mm equivalent as F5.6-F11 instead of it's true apertures of F2.4-F4 when exposure is far more important than depth of field?

Con; "May be too pricey for some", Absolutely stupid statement. Isn't every camera too pricey for some. If you can't afford a $500 entry level DSLR isn't that too pricey for them. You might say the RX10iv is the most expensive Superzoom but the D5 is the most expensive DSLR, $6500 body alone, yet DPR didn't say it was too pricey for some.

Imagine the howls of outrage here in the peanut gallery had they not acknowledged that this is an expensive camera for its class, though. People have been all up in arms about that since the day the price was announced. Heck, people were up in arms about the price of the RX10 III.

You’re right, though. The price has nothing to do with how good a camera it is. Like any camera you have to decide whether the price is worth it to you given what the product can do. Complaining about it is a bit pointless.

What would be nice is if the flash on this camera popped up a bit higher. Lens barrel shadow is a serious problem for anything remotely close up, even with the lens hood off. I had to use this at work for a while because my work camera was broken (photographing measurements, attics, the insides of service panels, that kind of thing) and I was doing a lot of holding the camera far away and zooming in, rather than zooming out and holding it naturally. This thing has the GAU-8 of lenses permanently attached to the front; the flash design doesn't really take its bulk into account.

Are you sure you're not talking about the RX10/10ii? My RX10iii never casts a shadow with the built in flash and the lens hood off because the flash sticks up a lot higher than the previous models. If I could post photos here I would prove it to you.

I discount the JPEG comparisons of different cameras - RAWs are far more useful. My FZ1000 (with a BSI sensor) is generally excellent - but the images are tad little soft at the extremes of focal length. My m4/3 cameras (with sharp bright primes) have larger but non-BSI sensors. Their high ISO capabilities are only slightly better than the FZ1000. I have wondered whether the higher lens specs of of the RX10 III/IV vs the FZ1000 would justify a purchase - but have been held back by their relatively poor high ISO sensor performance (almost 1 ev!) relative to the FZ1000 (compare the RAWs at high ISO). Sony appear to know how to get as much high ISO IQ from their BSI sensors as other manufacturers (A7RII/III) - but for some reason they have not done so with the RX10III/IV. I will wait until they do. I will also hold off on upgrading my m4/3 bodies until a 4/3 sensor is introduced which can match the performance/sensor area of the FZ1000.

I see a bit more chroma noise from the Sony but then contrast is also a little higher, I say they're comparable at ISO1600-3200, and at 6400 still the same trend but Sony is a little worse, still not a big difference.

Have to agree with Wickblau here. I was ready to put my cash down for the M4, but not being able to focus while zooming (in CAF) is a deal breaker. I shoot wildlife, motorsports, horse racing and AFL, amoung other things. Focus while zooming is essential to maximise your chance of the "shot".A pretty stupid omission in an "action and sports" camera.It seems to do well enough in video mode, but if I wanted a video camera, I'd buy a video camera.C'mon Sony. Pick it up.

It’s true! And weird. I just tried to do this, and if you have the shutter button half-pressed (so that continuous zooming is active) the zoom ring just doesn’t work. Nothing happens when you turn it.

Hopefully this can be fixed in a firmware update, although to me it doesn’t matter much. I tend to recompose at least a little between zooms, and the focus acquisition is so effin’ quick that I don’t feel like I’m waiting around at all for the camera to collect itself after changing focal length.

Well, if you’re in AF-S then you already have to press the button every time you want to refocus, right? That’s what we’re talking about here.

In AF-C you can zoom *or* focus, but not both at the same time. So you have to release the button, zoom, and then press the focus button again to re-engage continuous autofocus. AF-S won’t help with that at all.

Of course you can zoom in AF-C, you just can't rattle off shots in burst mode and zoom at the same time. So as you stop shooting (take your finger off the shutter button) you can zoom to your hearts content. Put your finger back on the shutter to focus and shoot a fresh burst, means you can no longer zoom at the same time. Hope this clears up any confusion. This behaviour is exactly the same in AF-S mode.

To be honest I’d have no trouble believing that there’s a hardware limitation here. When you’re zooming there’s vibration from the zoom motor, and of course the composition of the picture changes dramatically. Quite possibly that just freaks out the autofocus algorithm and leads to unsatisfying performance. Still I would rather that the zoom ring worked during continuous autofocus, even if that meant the camera would pause refocusing until zoom was complete. It would feel much more natural and wouldn’t require the user to lift their finger from the shutter.

Nah, this stuff is all nit-picking unless you have really specific needs. This camera is *blazingly* responsive. It’s like no other camera I’ve ever used in terms of how *ready* it is. It’s super quick; the focus acquisition is subjectively instantaneous, and it’ll maintain focus at 24fps. Having to momentarily lift your fingertip from the shutter to zoom is nothing compared to the overall responsiveness of this thing.

You’ll find imperfections in any camera if you look hard enough; for a compact, this one has remarkably few. Will they be major issues to a few people with special needs? Yes, but they should be looking at much pricier ILC systems for their purposes. Are there a few minor areas in which this may be the #2 or #3 compact instead of #1? Sure, but they’re pretty tiny and the overall package remains extremely compelling.

Bottom line: incredible autofocus, super responsive, awesome lens, and great video in a single package. Is it literally perfect? No, but what is?

Honestly, a lot of the nit-picking about this camera is starting to sound a bit like sour grapes! People are getting really hung up on minor stuff and declaring that the RX10 IV is garbage because this or that awesome, groundbreaking feature isn’t perfectly implemented. I can say from personal experience that this thing is ultra-responsive and that, more than any other camera I’ve ever used, it’s ready for your shot when you push the shutter button. It’s a level of responsiveness that contributes to a seriously elevated hit rate. If you read the comments here from people who have this camera, you’ll hear that again and again.

... "The lack of ability to zoom while maintaining focus, and the relatively slow zoom speed compared to a manually driven zoom lens will surely be a deal breaker for serious action shooters. And while AF is excellent, it isn't sports-camera reliable."...

I opened the review and first of all that line popped into my eye and that means that there's no need for me to read the review at all (saves my time) .... sadly disappointing ...

I am a Sony fan, but sorry Sony, for the price of a RX10 IV nowerdays I would really expect at least the above mentioned and so I'm simply and (a bit sadly) out of it - rather buy the cheaper RX10 III instead.

or other way for that money take a consumer dslr (with larger sensor) and some glass and get my birds in flight or whatever ...

I think I understand you are saying that AF-C of IV is supposed to work fine when used in a "moderate" way, right?

Some years ago (given it up meanwhile) I usually had Canon 1series and expensive (fast) L-glass and you're right when you say that in most cases you don't need very fast AF-C combined with really quick manually zooming-in.I usually tested my equipment on AF speed and AF accuracy in the way that I followed quick objects running towards me. (fi. bird shows or people or dogs running up to me etc) - and it is already some years that I had a Canon 7d too which was quite affordable, cost was about Euro 800 - 900.

Of course the comparison doesn't really make sense, I mean there are no such 24-600 lenses and so on .... but here in Austria, Europe, the Sony has a current entry price of Euro 2,000! Of course it will soon be down to € 1,800 but it will take a very long time to go down to 1,600 and that's still quite a lot of money.

If I easily had the cash on hand then ok I might buy IV but considering the money it would really make sense to reconsider precisely if a different system would be a more reasonable choice that gives you a wider range of possibilities (dlsr body, fast fixed lenses etc)

So I'd say point is the price. And for me it's just to high. If it was Euro 1,400 I would really make the effort (for me RX10 was already overpriced)

I bought this camera a month ago and have been using it extensively every day right alongside several of my FF bodies and L-glass lenses. I am very impressed! I am surprised how many times I find myself using images from the RX10 IV instead of one of my FF shots. The AF system and 24fps on this camera add up to some impressive capabilities for actions shots for wildlife and sports and the image quality is superb for a 1" sensor. I would like to commend Sony for this excellent product.

Just came back from a road trip in Italy. Let me tell you, the RX10 IV is the best travel camera I ever used. I also carry Fujifilm X100T which is also a spectacular camera. Between the two I caugnt myself using the Sony most of the time. The videos I took with it are impressive as well. I can’t imagine a better package. It is a Jack of all trades, Master of many! Since it is physically impossible to have a FF sensor with such a lens, and size/weight I refuse to listen to opinions about low light noise, ets. Pointless. If you think about it, buy it and dont listen to the people saying that Mk1,2,3 are good enough for less money. This cameras are all irrelevant, old, dead. RX10 IV is the new camera, the one you want. Speed, focus accuracy, optic excellence and versatility. At the end of the day you’ll have many more “keeper” pictures than the photo geek who is lugging 40lbs. backpack full with heavy glass. Trust me, I have 2 like that of 2 different systems....

Wholly agree!Just took delivery of my mk iv. Have thoroughly enjoyed the mk iii for a year and a half but came unstuck trying to shoot a spitfre flying display. It kept losing focus then hunting all the way to 0 m and back whilst I completely lost the subject! The mk iv with fast autofocus and range limit infinity to 3m solves both problems! I think I'v finally found almost the only camera I'll ever need! (plus my little rx100 mkiii when I only want to carry a pocket camera of course!) Am selling all my Dslr kit apart from my A77 plus portrait lens for the only situation the rx10 isn't perfectly suited!

One of the first things I did with this was take a casual shot of the moon. I was sitting in my friend’s yard on a lounge chair and just laid the camera on my thigh, used the tilt viewfinder for framing, and squeezed off a short burst. I then picked the sharpest, best-exposed frame from that burst and I was pretty pleased with what I had!

You need to check the lens, and avoid buying online if you can. I got my treasured FZ1000 from John Lewis , because the first from LCE online arrived well, but the lens was ruined by the trip. Panasonic's own fault, packing a naked unprotected zoom optic right up against, and pressed up against the left-hand side of the box. By the time the refund had arrived (I had also got rid of an RX10 which was equally hopeless) , I had the luck to speak to a human. I told the human why they got wrecked and the human packed hers in another box stuffed round with packing especially on the side where the lens was. How ANY manage the trip from Japan, no human knows!!

According to DPREVIEW look at the who this camera is not for on the conclusion page next to the so called grade, the RX-10 iv leaves me via the review gives me a different conclusion. Is the review incorrect ?

His statement of "Not so good for Sports and action photographers wishing to zoom while also maintaining focus on a moving subject" is correct but not complete. He should have added while shooting in burst mode. In other words in burst mode you can't zoom whilst firing the shots off. That is a failing for some but it doesn't make any difference to the fact that focusing ability of the RX10iv on moving subjects is in a completely different league to what's come before in the RX10 line. I should known having owned the RX10iii and now using the RX10iv. The new camera is fabulous for birds in flight, the RX10iii was absolutely hopeless.

Lots of pros use prime lenses for sports, you can't zoom with them full stop never mind just when shooting in burst mode.

The same for Belgium. Is there such a difference in import taxes that could justify the difference in price between $ 1.700 and € 2.000 ? Or is it just a matter of price-setting by the importer? At € 1.700 I would buy it immediately ;-)

VAT sales tax perhaps. US prices are generally before tax, while in the EU consumer goods are quoted including tax. VAT in the UK is set at 20% but I think it varies within the EU between 17.5% and 22%

While I feel a strong itch to buy this camera, for me, as a working photographer, is a no. 80 percent of what most photographers do for money involves people, portraits, faces. Blured backgrounds, separation of subjects. Impossible with this one, unless you are 30 feet away and zoomed in. Portraits from close with this one by look like an Iphone( actually better with Iphone X).

Yes, portrait photography is a weakness. That’s inherent to 1” sensors though, and this camera could not exist with a larger sensor. There are lots of APS-C compacts out there with lenses that reach to portrait zoom length; they would probably be better choices for a portrait photographer looking for a high-quality compact.

Or, yeah, a dual-cam smartphone with fake bokeh. It’s incredible what smartphones can do now.

If you have the itch, consider this: you get a fast camera with narrow angle telephoto with large aperture for about $2000. How much does a 200-400 f/4 or a 600mm f/4 alone cost? If you are a working photographer you already must have FF or at least APS-C system with fast portrait lenses, you are certainly not planning to replace your whole system with this?

It would work, by the way, if a pro could have just one camera and lens.

I was a working pro, now retired, and have been using the mark III for almost a year now, my extensive Fujifilm X-T2 kit sitting unused. Just came back from Nepal (3 week trek) where RX10III was my only camera, and boy, was the lens nice to have!

I respectfully disagree with you. In looking at all the cameras you include in the comparison, the FZ1000 is probably the best one I've ever used. However, even better is the OM-D-M5 II (now only $799) with the Zuiko 14-150mm f4-5.6 lens with the Micro Four-Thirds sensor. Same range (28-300 mm), which when automatically cropped yields a 600mm range, larger sensor and much better handling as a still camera. Right now you can get Olympus' Travel lens Kit consisting of the 14-150 mm lens and the 17mm f1.8 lens for $699. See my reviews at the Cruises & Cameras website where I called this combo the Best Overall Cruise Camera (www.cruisesandcameras.com).

I had an E-M1 with the Olympus 14-150mm - and it’s barely passable. The RX10 is on a whole other level of resolution and aberration suppression, the likes of which are only seen in MFT in the 12-100mm f/4 lens. The older 14-150 is, with all due respect, a POS (I still own one, because my wife likes it very much, FYI).

Digitalcruiser. Whoa, whoa, back up the truck! Explain again how you came up with a 600mm equivalent from a 150mm lens. Unless you know some kind of magic that I'm not aware of, the 14-150mm with a 2x crop factor is a 28-300mm equivalent. Period.

@ dr Jim - Hahaha he’s saying if you use the 16MP E-M5 II with this travel zoom that is slower than the RX10 IV’s lens and THEN crop that 2x sensor down another 2x (to 4MP mind) that that will supposedly be ‘better’ than the RX10 IV ;)

More about gear in this article

For the past few weeks we've been running a series of polls to find out what you - our readers - think of the major product releases of 2017. It's time to announce the winners of the first round of voting!

Where better to take a 24-600mm equivalent superzoom than on a trip to the mountains? With a zoom range ideal for travel, our RX10 IV review unit headed north to Whistler, BC almost as soon as it arrived.

The Sony RX10 IV is a fixed lens camera with a 1"-type sensor and 24-600mm equivalent lens that can shoot 4K video or stills at 24 fps, but that's not what we think is interesting about it. The addition of phase detection autofocus is pivotal to all those features.

Sure, the price tag is outrageous. But Sony has made some real leaps forward with its RX10 series in this latest iteration. We've been able to shoot some fast-moving action and get some initial impressions of this souped-up superzoom.

Latest in-depth reviews

The Edelkrone DollyONE is an app-controlled, motorized flat surface camera dolly. The FlexTILT Head 2 is a lightweight head that extends, tilts and pans. They aren't cheap, but when combined these two products provide easy camera mounting, re-positioning and movement either for video work or time lapse photography.

Are you searching for the best image quality in the smallest package? Well, the GR III has a modern 24MP APS-C sensor paired with an incredibly sharp lens and fits into a shirt pocket. But it's not without its caveats, so read our full review to get the low-down on Ricoh's powerful new compact.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is the ultimate sports, action and wildlife camera for professional Micro Four Thirds users. However, it can't quite match the level of AF reliability offered by its full frame competitors.

The HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW is a high quality standard prime lens for Ricoh's full-frame Pentax DSLRs. Ricoh has made great claims about its pro-grade construction and excellent sharpness – how does it stack up?

Latest buying guides

What's the best camera for under $500? These entry level cameras should be easy to use, offer good image quality and easily connect with a smartphone for sharing. In this buying guide we've rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing less than $500 and recommended the best.

What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.

What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best.

What’s the best camera for less than $1000? The best cameras for under $1000 should have good ergonomics and controls, great image quality and be capture high-quality video. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing under $1000 and recommended the best.

If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that while they're a bit older, still offer a lot of bang for the buck.

We've updated our waterproof camera buying guide with the latest round of rugged compacts, and we've crowned a new winner as the best pick in the category: the Olympus TG-6. That is, unless you happen to find a good deal on the TG-5.

Researchers with the Samsung AI Center in Moscow and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have created a system that transforms still images into talking portraits with as little as a single image.

K&R Photographics, a camera store in Crescent Springs, Kentucky, was robbed by armed men, who not only took thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, but also injured the 70-year-old co-owner of the store.

The new Fujifilm GFX 100 boasts some impressive specifications, including 100MP, in-body stabilization and 4K video. But what's it like to shoot with? Senior Editor Barnaby Britton found out on a recent trip to Florence, Italy.

It's here! The long-awaited next-generation Fujifilm GFX has been officially launched. Click through to learn more about the camera that Fujifilm is hoping will shake up the pro photography market - the GFX100.

We've known about the Fujifilm GFX 100 since last fall, but now it's official: this 102MP medium-format monster will be available at the end of June for $10,000. In addition to its incredible resolution, the camera also has in-body IS, a hybrid AF system, 4K video and a removable EVF.

According to DJI, any drone model weighing over 250 grams will have AirSense Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers installed to help drone operators know when planes and helicopters are nearby.

Chris and Jordan are kicking off a new segment in which they make feature suggestions to manufacturers for the benefit of all photographer-kind. To start things off, they take a look at the humble USB-C port and everything it could be doing for us.

The Olympus TG-5 is one of our favorite waterproof cameras, and the company today introduced the TG-6, a relatively low-key update. New features include the addition of an anti-reflective coating on the sensor, a higher-res LCD, and more underwater and macro modes.

The Leica Q2 is an impressively capable fixed-lens, full-frame camera with a 47MP sensor and a sharp, stabilized 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. It's styled like a traditional Leica M rangefinder and brings a host of updates to the hugely popular original Leica Q (Typ 116) that was launched in 2015.

We've been playing around with a prototype of the new Peak Design Travel Tripod and are impressed so far: it's incredibly compact, fast to deploy and stable enough for the heaviest bodies. However, the price may turn some away.